Ahn, Thomas*

We will build and estimate a structural econometric model of student course selection and professor course difficulty selection using higher education data. A combination of non-linear least squares, maximum likelihood, and general method of moments estimation techniques will be used to generate the model parameters. We will estimate the degree of tolerance for lower grades and study effort for male and female students to explain the observed gender gap in STEM major selection in higher education. With the estimated parameters, we will run simulations to calculate the impact of policy interventions designed to decrease the gender STEM gap.

Software

We will use Matlab to generate results. Most of the functions in Matlab (other than the one we are custom coding) are commercially available in the “Optimization Toolbox ,” “Econometrics Toolbox”, and “Statistics Toolbox.”

Collaborators

This project is in collaboration with Peter Arcidiacono, Amy Hopson, and James Thomas in the Economics department at Duke University.

Grants

Ahn, Thomas Sae Young 10-ED-1097 The Impact of School Accountability Sanctions on Student Outcomes: Evidence from North Carolina Duke University 3/1/2010 5/28/2014 $309,946

Publications

1. A Regression Discontinuity Analysis of Graduation Standards and Their Impact on Students' Academic Trajectories. Economics of Education Review, Vol. 37, pp. 64 - 75. (2014)
2. A Note on Bubbles and Worthless Assets: The Curious Case of General Motors with Jeremy Sandford and Paul Shea. Macroeconomic Dynamics, Vol. 18, No. 1, pp 244 - 254. (2014)
3. The Missing Link: Estimating the Impact of Incentives on Teacher Effort and Instructional Effectiveness Using Teacher Accountability Legislation Data. Journal of Human Capital, Vol. 7, No. 3, pp. 230 - 273. (2014)